More than a year after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis policeman, the city votes on an overhaul of its force. We examine America’s shifting debate over police reform.
Cryptocurrencies have taken off in Cuba; but the communist authorities want control. And light may be shed on the mystery of the reproductive habits—and extraordinary migration—of eels.
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week why the COP26 climate summit will be both disappointing—and crucial; the autumn of a patriarch in Turkey (11:23); and our Banyan columnist on the BJP’s battle with Bollywood (18:47).
Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, and our panellists round up the weekend’s biggest news. Plus, we check in with our friends and correspondents in London, Bangkok and Berlin. From Milan: Salone highlights, interviews and a daily running guide.
Simple animals like jellyfish and hydra, even roundworms, sleep. Without brains. Why do they sleep? How can we tell a jellyfish is sleeping?
Staff Writer Liz Pennisi joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about what can be learned about sleep from these simple sleepers. The feature is part of a special issue on sleep this week in Science.
Next is a look at centuries of alien invasions—or rather, invasive insects moving from place to place as humans trade across continents. Sarah talks with Matthew MacLachlan, a research economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, about his Science Advances paper on why insect invasions don’t always increase when trade does.
Finally, a book on racism and the search algorithms. Books host Angela Saini for our series of interviews on race and science talks with Safiya Umoja Noble, a professor in the African American Studies and Information Studies departments at the University of California, Los Angeles, about her book: Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.
We preview the agenda of the G20 summit in Rome and hear from a leading Afghan women’s rights advocate and former politician who had to flee Kabul. Plus: a review of the morning papers and the top business headlines.
President Biden will make a delayed departure for Europe as Democratic lawmakers spar over his spending agenda. Economic forecasters predict lackluster U.S. quarterly growth numbers. And a federal parole commission creates unique challenges for prisoners seeking release from “hard time” in the nation’s capital.
The unexpected origins of a 4000-year-old people, protecting your ‘digital presence’ and what to expect from COP26.
In this episode:
00:48 The origins of the mysterious Tarim mummies
For decades there has been debate about the origins of a group of 4000-year-old individuals known as the Tarim Basin mummies. Their distinct appearance and clothing has prompted scientists to hypothesise they had migrated from the North or West. Now, a team of researchers have used modern genomics to shed new light on this mystery and reveal that migration was not the mummies’ origin.
Research article: Zhang et al.
News and Views: The unexpected ancestry of Inner Asian mummies
08:59 Research Highlights
Making wood mouldable, and how ancient snakes diversified their diets.
Research Highlight: Moulded or folded, this wood stays strong
Research Highlight: Finicky no more: ancient snakes ate their way to success
11:09 How a regular ‘digital-hygiene’ check can protect your reputation
Attaching a researcher’s name to a paper without them knowing is an unscrupulous practice that can have serious repercussions for the unwitting academic. To prevent this, computer scientist Guillaume Cabanac is advocating a once-a-month ‘digital-hygiene’ check, to identify incorrect acknowledgements, and help prevent research malpractice.
World View: This digital-hygiene routine will protect your scholarship
18:51 What to expect from COP26
This week sees the start of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), with an estimated 20,000 people — including world leaders, scientists and activists — expected to be in attendance. Jeff Tollefson, senior reporter at Nature, joins us to explain what’s on the agenda for the conference.
News Explainer: COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting
Two months after the Taliban’s victory, civilians face a looming disaster. Will Western governments dig their heels in, or turn the aid taps back on?
India’s government has increasingly turned to high-tech means for delivering government services. But its digital-first solutions are inaccessible to millions of citizens. And we look at the business of renting clothing, as Rent the Runway goes public with a sky-high valuation.
We preview this week’s Asean summit, which arrives at a turbulent time for the region, and discuss the possibility of an EU diplomatic mission in Kabul. Plus, can the weather bring viewers back to Fox News?
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the real-time revolution transforming economics, how insurgency, secessionism and banditry threaten Nigeria (10:06) and our Bartleby columnist on why corporate mission statements deserve more than an eye-roll (17:39).
Boomers Daily 